By the Flip of a Coin
by Muggleborns
Summary: Hermione Granger owns a bookshop. Lucius Malfoy needs a book. -"Can I help you find anything, Mr Malfoy?" Lucius Malfoy brushed an invisible speck of dust off his sleeve before looking at her. "Yes, actually. I am looking for a book." She rolled her eyes at him. "In a book store? Truly?" He gave her a smug smile. "Tsk, Miss Granger. You shouldn't be rude to the customers."-
1. Forgive and Forget, Hmmm?

_Hello, lovely readers!_

 _My favourite ship is Severus/Hermione, but I have to say; daaaaaamn, Lucius, you're really something xD So, yeah, this is a oneshot with Lucius/Hermione. I think it will have about 5 chapters, (Is it called a oneshot still, if it has several chapters? Could someone give me the definition of a oneshot?) and I will be posting once a day, or so I think.  
_

 _I'm currently working on another SS/HG fic, but perhaps you'll want to read some Lucius while you wait? :D_

 _I truly hope you like it!_

 _Oh, and I don't own anything you recognise._

 _-o-_

Hermione Granger had no idea there was so much paperwork involved when owning your own business. Not that she minded. She had decided to stay a bit in the background so that people would not come here to gawk at the famous war heroine. She had had enough of that over the years, thank you very much. So after three months, not many people knew who the new owner of Flourish and Blotts was. And she wanted it to stay that way.

She had made a lot of changes to the place. Removing quite a lot of the books that were, in her opinion, out of date. Or just plain wrong. She had found a few books on the subject of why there were more squibs born to pureblood families. The books claimed that when pureblood wizards and witches had children with muggle-borns and half-bloods, the blood got mixed and resulted in squibs. Which Hermione knew was not true. Pureblood families tended to marry within the family. Which basically was inbreeding. Which again lead to birth defects. And not having magic for a witch could, in a way, be counted as a birth defect, although it had nothing to do with mixed blood. Rather the opposite, in fact.

But, even with the removal of pro-pureblood-books, business was good. Business had actually _improved_ after she took over the ownership.

Hermione was, all in all, happy. She had quit her miserable job at the ministry, and bought Flourish and Blotts. Not that she really _needed_ to work considering the two vaults she had in Gringotts, but she could not imagine going without having something to fill her life with. And running a bookstore was lovely.

-o-

She was finished with the paperwork and was in the process of sorting a new section of the shop when she heard someone come into the store. Knowing Ana, a really nice witch that was working for her would handle the customer, she did not check to see who it was.

She was standing on her tippy-toes on a ladder when she lost her balance. She did not, however, fall to the floor. Two strong arms caught her and she noticed finely tailored, black robes before looking up to see who had caught her.

She looked up in the eyes of the man who was still holding her. Two grey, piercing eyes.

Her blood froze in her veins as she realised who it was. Blond, long hair, grey eyes, black, tailored robes.

Lucius Malfoy.

"I would suggest levitating the books next time. Or perhaps you are clinging on to your muggle-heritage? If so, perhaps you should try being less clumsy."

No words came out of Hermione's mouth. She had not seen this man for years, and suddenly seeing him like this, not to mention in so close proximity was a shock. It seemed she was unable to move away from those piercing eyes.

After a long moment, Lucius Malfoy let go of her and took a step back before cocking his head at her. "I always thought you to be the one of the _Golden Trio_ that actually had some manners. It seems I was wrong."

He said the words Golden Trio with such distaste that Hermione suddenly snapped out of it. She felt her veins unfreeze as she looked at him with an angry expression. "Thank you for catching me. But I am generally only polite to people who actually _deserve_ it. Good day, Mr Malfoy." She turned back to her books but he did not leave. "Can I help you with anything? Or do you stop and stare at everyone?"

Lucius Malfoy's lip twitched, but he did not smile. "My, my, Miss Granger. You should leave the past where it belongs. Behind you. It has been years. Forgive and forget, hmm?"

Hermione decided not to fall for his obvious attempt to aggravate her, and put up her fakest smile yet. "Can I help you with anything, Mr Malfoy?"

This time she could actually see a flash of a smile. "You work here, then? I thought organising books were more of a hobby of yours. And I thought being a war heroine and all would at least make you wealthy enough so that you did not have to take a meagre job at a book store."

Hermione counted to five in her head before answering him. "I'll have you know I.. Never mind. I do not have to explain myself to you. _Can I help you find anything, Mr Malfoy?"_

He brushed an invisible speck of dust off his sleeve before looking at her. "Yes, actually. I am looking for a book."

She rolled her eyes at him. "In a book store? Truly?"

"Tsk, Miss Granger. You shouldn't be rude to the customers. Perhaps I should talk to your manager."

Hermione felt like hexing him. "The manager would love to have that chat with you, I am sure. Good luck with that. What book is it that you are looking for?"

He cocked his head at her again. "Actually, I am looking for a subject. I was hoping that I could find something that I do not already have in my library. Vast as it is, I do not have everything. And I heard that the new owner of this establishment had made quite a few changes for the better. I am guessing that this new owner has a vast experience and knowledge in magic, seeing how detailed the new selection is. Who is this new owner, by the way?"

Hermione was smirking on the inside at the fact that Lucius Malfoy was actually paying her a compliment without knowing. "That I cannot tell you. What subject are you interested in?"

"Cannot or _will_ not?"

"Will not. The subject?"

Malfoy raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her. "I see. The subject is charms. Creating charms to be more exact."

Hermione found herself, against her will, intrigued. "Really?"

Lucius Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Really. What do you take me for? A common fool and a wizard without skills? You should give me more credit."

Hermione actually let out a chuckle. "Oh, do forgive me. I just had the impression that you hated anything new. This way."

As they were walking towards the charms-section, Hermione glanced at him. "How advanced are the charms that you are creating?"

"Advanced. If you will show me the books, I will see for myself if they are what I am looking for or not."

Hermione rolled her eyes but kept walking. They reached the charms section and Hermione walked straight towards the most advanced of the books even though she had a feeling that they would actually be somewhat _too_ advanced. She pointed at a bookshelf as they passed it. "This is the common-fool-section," she said before pointing at a different shelf. "Perhaps this is more what you are looking for."

She was quite proud of her selection of charms literature. This was an area that interested her as well, so she had gone a step further with this section. Some of the books here were on creating the most advanced kind of charms there was. She, of course, had a copy of every book. And having studied them for years, she had even created some very advanced charms herself.

She waved her hand, non-verbally and wandlessly, as to summon a selection of books that was not the _most_ advanced, but still required high skill to understand. She levitated the books to the table next to them before waving her hand again. Three books lifted a few centimetres above the table. "These three are the best, in my opinion, for combining different types of charms."

She waved her hand, and the books landed on the table, and two other lifted. "These two are good for creating charms from scratch."

She turned to summon a few more books. "These are the most advanced books we have. I will leave you to look at them. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Have you read all of these?"

She turned to look at him. "I would not be able to recommend them if I had not. Good day, Mr Malfoy."

About thirty minutes later, Hermione smirked when she saw Malfoy pass her while levitating a huge stack of books.

-o-

A few days later, Hermione was in her office when she heard a familiar voice.

"Is Miss Granger here today?"

Before Ana could answer, she stepped out if the office, finding that she was curious to see what the blonde-haired pureblood wanted from her. "Indeed I am. What can I do for you today, Mr Malfoy?"

"Ah, Miss Granger. I was wondering if perhaps you had something similar to this book? Maybe something that goes more into detail?"

Hermione could see him holding out an old book that she recognised right away. "Yes, I do believe I can help you there. Come with me, if you please."

Back at the charms section, Hermione summoned two books and placed them on the table. "I would suggest these two."

After Lucius Malfoy left the shop a little while later, Hermione found herself amused that he would actually take advice from her. Even seek out her advice. Lucius Malfoy had changed over the years, that much was clear. Of course, he was still the same obnoxious pureblood that he once was, but he had softened. She couldn't help herself from being slightly fascinated.

-o-

Later that night, Hermione was sitting in her office in her apartment when her eyes fell on a book. She waved her hand to summon the book. It was the same book that Malfoy had brought to the store earlier, but this one was a much later edition, and a lot of mistakes had been corrected. On an impulse, she put her quill to the parchment. A while later Shakespeare, her owl, flew out the window headed for Malfoy Manor with a book, and a letter.

 ** _Mr Malfoy._**

 ** _I would strongly suggest that you replace your book with this one. Even though I do approve of first editions, it is not always the best when it comes to magic. They have made quite a few changes and corrected a few mistakes over the years for this book. This is the latest edition. I would recommend reading the chapter about combining types of magic. I think they have changed that one the most._**

 ** _I wish you good luck with your charms._**

 ** _Hermione Granger._**

She wondered how he would react. He would probably take it as an insult; maybe even send the book back.

She also wondered why she had just owled Lucius Malfoy.

About an hour later, Hermione almost jumped when something knocked on her window. Opening it, she saw a pitch-black owl sitting in her windowsill. "Well hello, who are you?"

The owl hooted and put out a leg for her to take the letter that was tied to it.

"Thank you very much. Do you like blueberries?"

The owl hooted again, and Hermione went to get a few blueberries. The owl ate the berries, and nibbled on her finger lovingly before flying into the night. Hermione sat down at her desk and opened the letter to read.

 ** _Miss Granger._**

 ** _I found myself somewhat offended from the fact that you find my books inadequate. But having read the chapter you mentioned, I cannot do anything other than agree with you. So thank you for the book. I will of course pay for it._**

 ** _So, do you read every book there is? Or is it this area in particular that you are interested in? Tell me, what is your opinion on the subject of combining charms to make a new one versus creating one from scratch?_**

 ** _Lucius Malfoy_**

 ** _Ps: The owl bites. If so, I apologise. Vicious tends to dislike new people._**

Hermione sat in silence for a long moment. Lucius Malfoy had just admitted that she was right. She even had it in writing. And he wanted her _opinion_ on something? _Her_ opinion? She let out a laugh before picking up a quill to write back.

 ** _Mr Malfoy_**

 ** _I am glad you are not offended since it was not meant in any way as offensive. And the book is from my own library, so there will be no need for payment. Consider it as a gift._**

 ** _Of course I have read every book there is. Haven't you? After all, 'the book you don't read won't help'._**

 ** _The subject you ask my opinion on is quite an interesting one, I think. It always depends on what type of charm it is you wish to create. Some say that it is not really a new charm if you combine already existing charms and different types of magic, but I disagree. I will not bore you with details, but I have used both methods, and I think that combining two very different charms into one makes a new charm. Especially if you have to change the words used._**

 ** _What is your opinion?_**

 ** _And yes, this area is quite a passion for me. I study it quite a lot. When I am not sorting books, that is._**

 ** _Hermione Granger_**

 ** _Ps: The owl did not bite. He cuddled. And it seems he fancies blueberries._**

After a little while, she got a reply. Vicious got a couple of blueberries, which rewarded her with him brushing his head on her cheek before flying off.

 ** _Miss Granger_**

 ** _A gift? That is very kind, thank you. And what do they say? 'Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book'._**

 ** _Bore me with details? Magic is rarely boring. But knowing the fools you surround yourself with, I can understand that you would come to such a conclusion. I wish you would bore me with details._**

 ** _Have you successfully created charms? And if I may ask, what kinds of charms?_**

 ** _I would suggest you sort the books in a less hazardous way, if nothing else._**

 ** _LM_**

 ** _Ps: I have trouble believing that he cuddled. I have never seen him do such a thing. Perhaps blueberries are his weak spot?_**

Hermione was mixed between anger at the insult towards her friends and intrigued towards the fact that he recognised that she was quoting Jim Rohn. And she was weak when it came to discussing magic with someone that actually knew what they were doing. Hating herself a bit, she wrote back.

 ** _Mr Malfoy_**

 ** _I am not quite sure what it is you wish to achieve by writing me. Are you generally bored and trying to find something to pass your time? I have to admit I am having trouble believing that you will happily correspond with such a filthy mudblood as myself without having a reason. Is it opinions on charms that you are truly after?_**

 ** _I sent you the book because I genuinely appreciate the art of creating charms, and the first edition is horrible comparing to the latest one. It was not a secret wish to befriend you._**

 ** _What is it that you want from me? Because continuingly insulting my friends is not the way to do it._**

 ** _Forgive and forget, Miss Granger. Is that what you truly believe? If that is the case, I have no need to continue this conversation. And please talk to Ana instead of me the next time you visit the store._**

 ** _If that is not what you truly believe, then stop being an asshole and treat me like a decent human being. I have no need for people that are full of themselves in my life._**

 ** _I saw you at the end of the final battle, Lucius Malfoy. I saw a completely broken man that only wanted to save his son and his family. I stood next to Harry when he pleaded your case. So don't you dare speak of him that way._**

 ** _I will gladly discuss charms with you, because I find this to be a fascinating subject, and I do not have that many people that share my passion for it. And since you are writing to me of all people, I am guessing you do not either._**

 ** _So you can make a choice here. You can either get down from your high pureblood horse and continue this correspondence, or you can stay up there and leave me alone._**

 ** _If you are interested in hearing more about the charms I have created, and the years of research I have done so far, I would suggest getting off the horse. Better yet, shoot the damned horse._**

 ** _Hermione Granger_**

 ** _Ps: Perhaps Vicious only bites people that deserve it._**

Hermione was not sure if she would get a reply this time. She was considering going to bed when, to her surprise, Vicious tapped on her window.

 ** _Miss Granger_**

 ** _I apologise. And I find myself surprised that the apology is genuine._**

 ** _I will be honest with you, Miss Granger. I still believe that you are inferior to me because of your blood. But after all these years, my beliefs are not as strong as they were. Very far from it, in fact. I now realise that this is an old-fashion way of seeing the world, and that there is a chance that I am wrong. Hopefully, everyone can change. Including me._**

 ** _Most of my friends and family are still clinging on to their old beliefs, and I do not meet much resistance with doing the same. Except for my son. Draco has changed completely over the years, and I can see that he is happier for it._**

 ** _How can one see things differently when not challenged to do so?_**

 ** _I will try to not be an "asshole", Miss Granger. I did not know you knew such crude words. Manners, manners. And your advice to shoot the horse? Can I not just find it a new, good home with people who will care for it?_**

 ** _Jokes aside, you ask what is it that I want from you. To tell you the truth, I do not know. You are right when you say that I do not have anyone to discuss the deeper areas of magic with. And I guess I found myself intrigued._**

 ** _I am curious to learn more about what you have worked on over the years._**

 ** _I have been trying to create acquaintances that do not belong to my old life. And perhaps you are the one that can prove my life-long beliefs wrong?_**

 ** _Before I finish this letter of pathetic honesty, I have to mention one last thing. Do not expect people to change by the flip of a coin. I will not suddenly turn into a humble person that thinks everyone should be friends. But remember that I actually am trying to open my eyes to new ways of thinking. And I will never mention this humiliating letter again. I am hoping neither will you._**

 ** _LM_**

 ** _Ps: Perhaps he does._**

Hermione sat in stunned silence. _Well, why not,_ she thought, before writing back.

 ** _Mr Malfoy_**

 ** _Everyone can change if they genuinely wish to do so. Even if it does not happen by a flip of a coin. Other than that, consider it never mentioned._**

 ** _If I am to share, I hope you will do the same. I am currently working on a few things that you might find interesting._**

 ** _I have created quite a few charms over the years. I can now watch memories outside the pensieve, organise hundreds of books with one spell, shield myself against physical attacks, and cast Lumos without a wand. Among other things._**

 ** _I am afraid that it is quite late and I have to go to bed since I have work early in the morning. But if you wish, I can send you some of my notes when I get home tomorrow._**

 ** _What is it exactly that you are working on?_**

 ** _HG_**

 ** _Ps: My owl, Shakespeare fancies frazzles._**

She was brushing her teeth when the reply came.

 ** _Miss Granger_**

 ** _I find myself impressed. I am curious to learn more about these charms. Watch memories outside the pensieve? Creative._**

 ** _I am currently working on a ward to detect when someone is approaching my house, what their intentions are, and who it is._**

 ** _I have created quite a few charms over the years as well. I can shape stone (this has so far only been useful for decorating the garden, seeing how I have had absolutely no reason for making a tunnel through a mountain or something equally dramatic yet), project thoughts (it is a form of Legilimency), and not to forget I can fly. Without the usual Dark spell that is used for it. (It comes in handy when I am searching the upper shelves in my library. Oh, how adventurous my life is.)_**

 ** _I would love to see your notes. Good night, Miss Granger._**

 ** _LM_**

 ** _Ps: What in the world is a Frazzle?_**


	2. Find-Your-Inner-Gazelle

_Here's chapter 2!_

 _I don't own anything you recognise. (I would rather like to own Lucius, though. Mmh, yes. Yes, that would be nice.)_

 _Thank you for reading, reviewing, follows and favourites, you are lovely, lovely people, and you make me a happier human being._

 _On a less happy note; I bloody hate the title I chose for the fic, and I can't for the life of me come up with a different title, as my brain seems to have gone on holiday xD Any opinions? Anyone have 1 word they think the title should contain?_

 _I'll stop rambling now. *sneaks away*_

 _-o-_

Hermione woke up the next morning feeling slightly excited. It took her a second to remember why. The reason was Lucius Malfoy, of all people. _How ironic fate is,_ she thought before getting out of bed.

-o-

She corresponded with Malfoy nearly every day for the next three weeks. The tone in their letters had turned friendlier, and Hermione often found herself laughing while reading one of his letters. His dry, sarcastic humour was actually quite similar to Hermione's own, and she enjoyed it. He was, she realised, an intelligent, funny, reflected man. At least when it came to magic. And his knowledge was vast. Hermione was starting to enjoy their correspondence more and more. He could still be a pureblood prick at times, but Hermione found it to be less insulting than it used to be. _Stockholm syndrome, I'm suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Great._

She was sitting in her office when she heard the familiar voice once again.

"Can I find Miss Granger anywhere nearby?"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. _Stockholm syndrome. Extreme case,_ she thought, before stepping out of the office. Lucius Malfoy was standing there with his wand out, levitating a pile of books. And he actually gave her a small smile.

"I hoped I would find you here. Perhaps you could help me take a look at these?"

She gave him a smile back, and spoke before she realised what she was saying. "Certainly Mr Malfoy. If you would step into my office?"

Malfoy raised a curious eyebrow at her and she realised what she just said. _Great,_ she thought as she rolled her eyes. _You are just the epitome of discretion, aren't you?_

Inwardly scolding herself, she returned to her desk, and waved a hand to close the door behind Malfoy. He sat down, and Hermione briefly wondered if purebloods had a find-your-inner-gazelle course, because she discovered a new, and thus far unknown fascination of the movement of _sitting down_ as she watched Lucius Malfoy sit down in the chair in front of her desk. He proceeded to cross one leg over the other, and Hermione found she was rather fascinated with that leg as well. The find-your-inner-gazelle course had to be a thing, Hermione decided.

 _Or perhaps he has taken ballet lessons,_ she thought, and had to stop herself from exploding in a fit of laughter from the mental image of Lucius Malfoy in a tutu. Supressing the bubbles of laughter threatening to burst, she folded her hands on the desk. "So, Mr Malfoy, what can I do for you today?"

He gazed at her for a moment. "Step into _my_ office, hmm? Pray do tell, Miss Granger, will every employee get their own office?"

Hermione knew she the game was up, but gave him an innocent look. "Would you believe me if I tell you I am employee of the month, and that comes with perks, one of them being this office?"

"I _might_ have considered it ever so briefly, had your name not been on every letter in this office."

"Fanmail?" Hermione said hopefully, giving him a wry smile. "Employee of the month _is_ a rather big deal, if you think about it."

"Of course," he said as he inclined his head at her. "My apologies, I did not realise the importance, nor the great honour of being Flourish and Blotts' employee of the month. Forgive my ignorance." He looked at her, and she could see a wicked glint in his eyes. "I find myself intrigued by this fanmail you receive. Perhaps you would read me one?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I could probably pick up an empty paper and 'read' you a letter full of praise for the work I do as employee of the month, I'd rather just end the joke here. I own the shop, as you might have deduced by now."

Malfoy smirked, but then she noticed that he did, in fact, look slightly surprised. "Why the secrecy?"

"Because I have had enough of people gawking at me. Or giving me things I do not deserve. I prefer if people come here because the store is worth coming to. Not because the owner is _Hermione Granger, war heroine and friend of the Chosen One."_

The last sentence was dripping with sarcasm and an eye roll, and Hermione was baffled to hear Malfoy let out a laugh. "Ah, the burden of fame. I find myself in the same situation except for the fact that people run the other way when they see me."

Malfoy leaned over, put his hand next to his mouth and made a pretend-frightened face. "Oh God, there is that Death Eater!" he whispered furiously, "Don't look! Hurry, let's avoid him."

Then he leaned back, and his pureblood expression was back as he raised a bored eyebrow. Hermione could not stop herself from laughing. When the laughter faded, she gave him an amused grin. "I am not sure what is worse. Being shunned, or being stalked."

Malfoy gave her a small, wry grin. "I am glad to hear you find my misfortune amusing," he said before raising an eyebrow at her. "Stalked? You have stalkers?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Indeed. Several, in fact, over the years. I even have one now. He keeps sending me flowers. And owling me. There is a reason why my wards are so strong."

"What does the letters say?"

"About how I just need to realise that we are perfect together, and that I just need to meet him, just _once,_ to _understand._ He is not the worst one, though. It doesn't bother me that much."

"That sounds rather bothersome, truly. And he's not the worst, you say? Tell me about the worst, then."

"Well, I had one that wrote detailed letters on how our children would look, what their names would be, how our wedding would be and what guests would be there. He even wrote his wedding speech. And then there was this man who kept sending me photos of myself. Which he had taken while I was walking in the streets, or sitting at a restaurant. When he started sending me pictures of me inside my own apartment, I tracked him down, and changed his memories of me ever so slightly. He now finds me extremely ugly. That made him stop."

Malfoy chuckled. "Creative. And you were not afraid that you would damage his mind?"

Hermione shook her head. "I have done more advanced memory spells, believe me. But that is a completely different story." She paused and looked at him. "I would please ask of you that you keep the knowledge of who owns this store to yourself."

Malfoy nodded. "I promise."

Hermione smiled at him. "Thank you, Mr Malfoy. Now, what can I do for you today?"

"Please call me Lucius. And I would like for you to take a look at these. Should I get newer editions?"

Hermione looked at the books and gasped a couple of times when seeing how rare some of them were. She looked up to find Lucius gaze at her. She smiled at him and moved a couple of books over to the side. "These ones do not need replacement. They have never been altered." She tapped her finger at the larger stack of books and gave him a wry smile. "These ones, however, should be replaced. Most of them at least. There have been a lot of changes to these areas of magic over the years."

Lucius just looked at her for a moment before cocking his head. "You didn't even look up information on any of the books."

"I did not need to. I am familiar with them already. I can't believe you have so many rare books."

He gave her a superior-pureblood smile. "If this interests you, my library would overwhelm you."

Hermione raised an amused eyebrow at him. "Oh, don't look so smug. Even though you are most likely correct."

-o-

Hermione found the new editions of the books he wanted, and he was about to leave when he turned to look at her. "You should come and to Malfoy Manor for some tea one of these days, and you can visit my library. If you wish. Good day, Miss Granger."

Before she could answer, he had already left the store.

-o-

Another three weeks passed by in a flash, and it was Saturday when Hermione was sitting in her office at home writing to Lucius.

 _ **Lucius**_

 _ **How are you this morning? I am writing because I have completely forgotten about something until now. You mentioned you were working on a ward for your home? How is the progress? And I do not mean to ruin it, but I already have a ward that works exactly like that, and I was wondering if you were interested in hearing about it? Maybe you could get some inspiration? That is, if you aren't already finished with it.**_

 _ **Hermione**_

She got a reply almost right away.

 _ **Hermione**_

 _ **I am not finished with it, and would love to hear about how you worked on yours.**_

 _ **What are your plans for the day? If you are free, perhaps you would like to join me for tea in an hour?**_

 _ **I realise that your last visit to this house was not a pleasant one, but I would like you to know that the drawing room is removed. The whole area is rebuilt and you cannot see how it used to be. Both Narcissa and I agreed that the room contained too much darkness.**_

 _ **I do, however completely understand if you do not feel like visiting.**_

 _ **Lucius**_

Hermione sat in stunned silence for a moment. Her traitorous heart gave a painful twinge at the mention of Narcissa. Hermione realised she had not asked about Lucius' wife. And he had not mentioned her once. Were they still together? Did she still live there? How did she feel about her husband owling constantly with a mudblood? With a slight ache in her heart, she wrote back.

 _ **Lucius**_

 _ **I appreciate you telling me. And with the mention of Narcissa I realise that I have not asked about her. How is she? How would she react to the fact that I came to tea, if I should do so? I do not wish to step on any toes.**_

 _ **Hermione**_

She was pacing around her office while waiting for the reply. Finally, Vicious tapped on the window.

 _ **Hermione**_

 _ **Narcissa would not mind, seeing how she does not live here anymore. We divorced years ago. No toes will be harmed. Will you come?**_

 _ **Lucius**_

Hermione's traitor heart skipped a beat. Why was she happy that he was divorced? _You are starting to like him just a little too much, aren't you?_ She shrugged off her thoughts, and wrote back.

 _ **Lucius**_

 _ **Tea sounds lovely. I will be there in about an hour.**_

 _ **Hermione**_

With mixed feelings, Hermione went to get ready for tea at Malfoy Manor.

-o-

Lucius Malfoy was pacing around in the living room while waiting for Hermione's answer. Finally, he heard tapping on the window. She was coming to tea. He let out a breath he did not know he was holding.

He was about to call a house elf when he remembered she hated the way they were treated. Even though he paid the house elves these days, he wanted to avoid any unpleasantness, considering how her last visit to the manor went.

Lucius Malfoy went to make tea for Hermione Granger while wondering what universe he was thrown into.

He almost jumped when the doorbell rang. He opened the door to find a visibly nervous, but smiling witch standing there. "Welcome, Miss Granger Do come in."

"I have said it before, call me Hermione. You do it in writing already. And thank you."

After taking her coat, Lucius lead her into the living room where he had prepared the tea. When he looked at his creation, the urge to cringe was almost overwhelming. Yes, there was tea, biscuits and other things that he knew the house elves served, but the presentation of it was dreadful. It looked like someone had _thrown_ the biscuits onto the plate. Thrown them from the other side of the room, in fact.

He turned hesitantly to Hermione. "Please ignore the lack of elegance. I made the tea myself."

The witch gave him a surprised look. "Why? You still have house elves I assume?"

"Well yes, but I know how you feel about them. I do pay them these days, though, seeing how your work at the ministry made that mandatory. Not that I mind."

She just stared at him, and he had no idea how to read her expression. After a small eternity, she gave him a beaming smile. "So you did this just for me?"

Lucius straightened his back and raised an eyebrow at her. "Is it truly _that_ hard to believe?"

"Yes. No offense meant. But yes."

He was about to comment on her manners when she caught him off-guard with putting her hand on his arm and giving him such a warm smile that his heart skipped a beat. "This is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. Thank you, Lucius." Before he could find his voice, she was sitting in the sofa, looking up at him. "Are you joining me?"

Lucius sat down and gazed at the brown-haired, amber-eyed witch that was currently pouring tea. If someone had told him a year ago that he would be sitting in his own home, having tea with the mudblood, no, muggle-born, that he watched being tortured the last time she was here, he would laugh at them until he cried. But here he was, serving her tea that he made himself. He, who barely even knew _where_ the kitchen was. What was happening to him?

He could not deny the fact that Hermione was quite a fascinating creature, though. She was so full of life. And the way her whole face lit up from something as simple as a book was hard to not find lovely. And the magic this witch had in her? It was quite unreal. She did not even think when using magic, waving her hands here and there to do the most remarkable things. He had so far not seen her use her wand even once. Not that he had seen her that many times, but still. What he found just as remarkable was her brain. The knowledge, intelligence, and brilliant mind of this woman was unbelievable. She easily matched him. And that was saying something, considering her young age.

Realising she was saying something, he snapped out of his thoughts. "Excuse me, what? I was lost in thoughts for a moment."

She smiled, but he could see that her smile was uncertain. "I realise that this is an odd question, but have you ever been to the cinema?"

He shook his head. "I have not. As you might imagine, I am not very familiar with what the muggle-world has to offer. I am well aware of what it is, though."

She looked away for a moment before looking at him again. "You are allowed to say no, I won't be offended, but would you like to go with me? Tomorrow?"

He did not know what to say. The thought of going to such a place made a big part of him recoil from just the idea of it. But another part of him was intrigued from the fact that she wanted him to go with her. Before he could gather his thoughts and answer, she continued.

"Never mind. It was stupid of me to think you would want to. Just forget it."

She gave him a smile that almost reached her eyes before sipping her tea. He shook his head at her. "It was not stupid. It was just..unexpected."

She rolled her eyes and gave a small sigh. "I know. Never mind. I will go by myself."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "By yourself? Is it that important?"

She gave him a sheepish smile. "Well, yes. It kind of is."

"Why?"

Hermione hesitated a moment. "I want you to answer me before I tell you why."

"What do I get in return?"

She looked taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered and gave him a grin. "What do you want?"

He couldn't help the playful smile he sent her. "We will have to see, won't we?"

She rolled her eyes. "So you will go with me? Remember that it means that you will have to wear something not so..wizardy."

"Something not so wizardy. I will remember. And yes, I will go with you. Now, will you tell me why?"

She actually looked sad for a moment. "Well, perhaps this will sound weird, but bear with me. My parents are out of town because my aunt is sick, and they aren't even sure if she will make it." She stopped and shook her head. "Never mind with the details. The point is that they are not in town, and I am not sure when they will return. Perhaps my aunt will get better, but it doesn't look promising right at this point." Rolling her eyes, she continued. _"Anyway,_ since they are not in town, they will not be able to go with me. And we have this silly tradition that every year, on my birthday, we go to the movies. We have done this since I was a little girl. It's not _that_ important anymore, but since they are out of town, it just feels, for some reason, _utterly_ depressing. So at the moment my birthday is looking rather gloomy."

Lucius was wondering if he was hearing her correctly. "Wait. Tomorrow is your birthday?" She nodded. "And you are asking _me_ to come with you? What about your friends?"

She didn't meet his eyes when she answered. "Well, I guess I could ask them, but this has always been a thing I have done without them. And they will look at me with sad eyes and tell me it will be alright, and I will feel like hexing them all. Instead, I want to go to the cinema, eat popcorn and red liquorish, and just forget the reason why I am not doing this with my parents this year." She turned to look at him before continuing. "And to be honest, Lucius, I like you. I enjoy your company. And you will not look at me like I am a thing made of glass that you need to be _very_ careful not to break." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I have fought in a war. You would think they would give me some more credit. I hate it when people feel sorry for me. If I need to be comforted, I will bloody well tell them."

Lucius couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him. "Somehow I completely believe that. Very well then. I will be honoured to accompany you to the.." He gave a small sigh without meaning to before continuing. "Muggle-cinema."

Realising the level of distaste in his tone, he looked at her to see if she was offended. And was surprised to find her bursting out in laughter. He put up a pretend-offended expression. "Yes, yes, you cheeky witch. Eat your biscuit."

This resulted in even more laughter, and Lucius' heart skipped a beat.

-o-

About half an hour later, Hermione's eyes lit up and she put her hand in the pocket of her robe and took out a small purse the size of a wallet. She then opened it and waved her hand over it. To Lucius' surprise, a stack of parchments flew out. She saw his expression and smiled. "Undetectable extension charm. Which I have improved somewhat. I can pack my whole apartment in here if I so wanted. Practical, don't you think?" She handed her the papers. "These are some of my notes on my wards. Maybe you would like to take a look."

He looked at her papers for a while, and couldn't quite believe the advanced level of magic it had taken her to create this. He was sure that _none_ of his pureblood friends would ever be capable of anything like it. He looked at her disbelievingly. "You created this? All of it?"

She copied his expression from earlier. "Is it truly _that_ hard to believe?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Tut, tut, Miss Granger. No one likes a cheeky witch."

She laughed before smiling at him. "Is that so? But yes, I created the whole thing. It's not really that hard, truly."

He shook his head at her. "Every witch and wizard I know would disagree with you."

She smiled at him. "I will take that as a compliment. Will you show me what you have worked on?"

He promptly shook his head. "Not a chance in the world. I will throw it all away after looking at this. I see now that the way I was going at it was complete rubbish."

She shook her head with a smile. "I will choose to see that as a compliment as well, Mr Malfoy. You are welcome to use my wards if you want. Casting the charm in itself is actually not difficult at all."

He looked at her notes again. "I see no wand instructions, why is that?"

She actually blushed, which Lucius found disturbingly attractive. She waved a hand. "I don't use a wand. I cast it wandlessly. So I have just forgotten to write down the wand movements."

Lucius stared at her. He was torn between wanting to kiss her and being furious from the fact that she was muggle-born. He shook his head. "Do you ever use your wand?"

She actually giggled, which again was a tad too attractive. "Of course. Just not very often. But I can cast most spells without a wand. It is very practical."

"That I can believe. Now, perhaps you would like to see my library, before you completely emasculate me?"

She laughed all the way to the library. As he opened the door and stepped in, he watched her carefully to see what her reaction would be. As she stepped in, the laughter abruptly stopped and her expression turned utterly awestruck. Her eyes filled with light and wonder, and her lips parted slightly as she gasped. Lucius forgot how to breathe for a moment from the sight of her.

And in that moment, Lucius Malfoy realised that his feelings towards Hermione Granger was reaching beyond the borders of what you would define as a friend. And to his surprise, it did not disgust him.

-o-

Later that night, Lucius was lying in his bed, completely lost in thought. Could he really be developing _feelings_ for her? For a muggle-born? And if so, should he pursue it? Then again, would _she_ ever feel the same way about him? Not likely. She was young, beautiful and brilliant. And what was he? An old, shunned, former Death Eater with a son the same age as her. Not to forget that he was basically the epitome of everything she hated. He shook his head with a sigh. Foolish. What he was thinking was foolish. He sighed again and turned over to the side to try to let sleep find him.


	3. Not-So-Wizardy-Clothes

_Chapter 3!  
_

 _I had a guest review suggesting By the Flip of a Coin as the title. Thank you for that suggestion! I liked it, and as you can see, I have changed the title xD Thank you again._

 _Thank you all for the lovely feedback, and for generally being lovely people!_

 _I own nothing you recognise._

 _-o-_

The next day Hermione woke up from something tapping on her window. She opened her eyes and saw several owls sitting outside. A little while later, she was sitting in her living room with a small pile of presents. The contents of the presents were not too surprising. Quills and a journal from Harry, a scarf from Ron, a sweater from his mother, and to her surprise, lingerie from Ginny.

After finishing opening her presents, she sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. She was just about to open The Daily Prophet when another tap came on the window. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Vicious sitting outside her window.

He delivered a small parcel that excited her more than any of the other presents she had gotten that day. The owl then gave a loving hoot and brushed against her cheek before taking the offered blueberry and flying off.

Sitting down in the sofa, she looked at the small parcel in her hands. She removed the small card attached to it and opened it to read.

 ** _Dear Hermione_**

 ** _I was not given a lot of time to find you a present, but I saw this and thought of you._**

 ** _Happy birthday, Hermione._**

 ** _Love, Lucius_**

Now she was truly intrigued. And had a slight increase in heart rate from the _Dear Hermione,_ and the _Love, Lucius._ Shaking it off, she started to remove the paper from the present.

It was a charms bracelet. An expensive one seeing how it was embossed with diamonds. The bracelet had one charm already on it. A small lion's head in white gold. Embossed with diamonds as well. _He saw a lion and diamonds and thought of me? If that is not a compliment, I do not know what is. I wonder how much this cost? Probably a small fortune. At least. But then again, he is Lucius Malfoy, and I have never owned something so beautiful._ She put the bracelet on, and it fit perfectly.

On an impulse, she grabbed her coat and purse and apparated to muggle-London with a smirk. A little while later, she returned home and went to her office to write to Lucius. She hesitated before writing the first word.

 ** _Dear Lucius_**

 ** _I am tempted to yell a bit at you and refuse to accept this gift. Because honestly, it is way too much. I should not keep it. And I would most definitely not keep it, if it, had it not been the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. And so, I am keeping it. Thank you, Lucius. It's lovely._**

 ** _I am having lunch and tea in a bit, if you are free and would like to join me._**

 ** _Love, Hermione_**

Not long after came the reply.

 ** _Dear Hermione_**

 ** _I would love to, had I only known where you live. And I would refuse to take it back anyway, so I am glad you decided to keep it. I think it suits you._**

 ** _Love, Lucius_**

Hermione apparated outside the wards of Malfoy Manor. Then she touched the wards with her magic, alerting him of her presence.

In less than a minute, Lucius opened the door and cocked his head at her. "Good thing I am already ready to go," he said, leaving Hermione somewhat confused as he disappeared inside. But then, less than a minute later, he came back, wearing a coat this time.

He stopped in front of her, and she smiled at him. "Side-along apparition?"

He nodded, and she took a hold of his arm and apparated them in the middle of her living room. She met his eyes and she could see an intrigued expression. "And how did you just apparate us without the dizziness that follows?"

She smiled. "I tweaked it somewhat. Tea?"

He shook his head with a smile. "Tea would be lovely. Thank you."

She smiled at him and went to the kitchen and got another cup and some biscuits. The whole thing almost went to the floor as she turned around and suddenly found herself facing him. She looked quizzically at him, and he gave her a small smile before holding out something to her. "Happy birthday, Hermione."

It was a rose. Not a regular rose, however. This was an enchanted rose. She looked at it with awe and waved her hands to send the cup and biscuits to the table before she carefully took it from him. He smiled at her. "It's enchanted as you can see. It will change colour from what month it is."

She beamed at him. "I adore it. Thank you." Before he could walk away she grabbed on to him and gave him a hug. She let go and smiled at him. "Thank you. Truly."

Then she walked to the kitchen and took a glass from the cupboard and placed it on the counter before waving her hand over it to transfigure it. In the end the rose was standing on the fireplace mantle with a protective spell to keep it from getting too hot.

She was about to sit down when she remembered what she had bought earlier in the day. She flicked a finger to summon in as she walked over to sit next to him. The item landed in her hand, and she looked at him. "Actually, I have a thing for you too. But you may hate it, and probably hate _me_ slightly for trying to push this on you. It's a muggle-invention. But it's an easier and quicker way to communicate. It's an iPhone. A mobile phone. Do you hate me yet?" When he just raised an eyebrow she saw it as a chance to continue. "I already set it up for you, here." She handed him the phone, and he held it in his hand like it was something toxic. She rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I know. Dreadful. But give me five minutes to try to convince you, and if you still hate it, I will never suggest it again. Alright?"

Lucius shook his head with a sigh. "Very well." He gave her a playful smile that made her tingle. "Better give it your best, then."

She giggled at him.

-o-

Lucius' heart skipped a beat at the sound of Hermione's laughter. He looked at the thing in his hand. _What this witch makes me do is quite frankly incredible,_ he thought before looking expectantly at said witch. Little did she know that he was already somewhat convinced from the expression on her face. And if it was an easier way to communicate with her? He was most likely willing to give it a try.

Hermione leaned into him and pointed at the thing in his hand. "How to work the exact details will not be covered in this attempt to convince you. It is not the important part. Alright, I have my phone here; it is the same as yours as you can see. And now I will call you."

Lucius almost dropped the thing as it started to vibrate in his hand. But then he saw the vibrating atrocity light up, and the word _Hermione_ written all over it. He already liked this thing.

"You see, obviously, that it is me calling, and under you can see a green and a red button. If you press the red one you interrupt the call, but if you press the green one, you accept it. Press the green one."

She got up just as he put his finger to the button. He looked up at her, and she was holding her phone to her ear and gesticulating for him to do the same. As he was looking at her, he could see her mouth move, but no sound came out. He put the phone hesitantly to his ear, and almost dropped it again when he heard her voice.

"Sorry, I didn't tell you I was casting a silence spell. But now you hear me, right?" He nodded at her, and she rolled her eyes. "You should try saying something."

He rolled his eyes back at her. "Why? I feel like an imbecile."

She smiled. "You shouldn't. But it works, doesn't it? And you can actually hear the voice of the person you talk to. I like that. Anyway, before my five minutes are up I need to show you another thing. Look at the phone and press the red button to close the call." She waved her hand and he pressed the red button just as she sat down. "Alright! Next is text message. It's like sending a letter, but it is instant, and does not involve owls. It is not as personal as a letter, but it has other qualities that in my opinion make up for it."

Fifteen minutes later, Lucius was still sitting with his phone. He had already started thinking of it as his phone, apparently. He was currently trying to type a text message to Hermione, whom was sitting in the chair opposite from him, happy as a clam. He pressed send after finished writing, and was rewarded with a happy laugh from the other side of the table.

 ** _I give up. I will accept the phone with mixed feelings. Thank you._**

-o-

He arrived home a while later. This evening he would be going to the bloody muggle-cinema with Hermione, so he needed not-so-wizardy clothes.

He almost jumped when the phone beeped and vibrated. He looked at it to see a text message from Hermione, and unlocked the phone.

 ** _Did you know you can send pictures as well? Not magical ones, but still._**

Before he could answer, another message came in. This was a picture. Of a smiling Hermione.

Lucius decided that getting a phone was an excellent idea. He wrote back

 ** _L:_** ** _I did not. But I must say I like the concept._**

 ** _H:_** ** _I am glad you do. I do too. Of course you will have to learn how to send pictures as well. Just look for a camera icon. You can't miss it if you look for it, quite frankly._**

 ** _L:_** ** _And what is it that I am supposedly taking pictures of?_**

 ** _H:_** ** _Yourself? A nice sunset? Vicious? A rock in the garden? Anything, quite frankly. I will give you an example._**

A minute later a new message made him jump. It had a picture of Hermione looking at the camera with messy hair and a jaded expression, and Shakespeare was sitting on her head with his head cocked. Lucius laughed when seeing the picture. He read the text that came with the picture and laughed harder.

 ** _H:_** ** _Shakespeare has apparently decided it's 'prune Hermione's feathers-day' today, and he is rather effectively pruning my hair into a frizz._**

Lucius got an idea, and walked out to the garden. He felt like a complete and utter _fool_ while trying to find a camera icon so he could take a picture. But since this was Hermione, he did it anyway.

He realised while standing there taking pictures, feeling like a bloody idiot; he had to make a choice. Get out now, which meant removing Hermione from his life, or continue on the path he was on, which would almost certainly result in him doing much worse than posing with the statue of himself in the garden.

Removing Hermione from his life was quickly overruled by the twinge in his heart, and he gave a defeated sigh before walking inside to find some not-so-wizardy clothes. _After_ he figured out how to send Hermione the picture of himself with the statue of course. _I am losing it,_ he thought before trying to figure out the phone.

He finally figured it out, and chose the picture he felt looked slightly better than the others.

 ** _L: I was told to send pictures of myself. Or rocks in the garden. Well, here you have both. The rock in itself would actually meet the requirements, seeing how it is me as well. Did I pass the test?_**

 ** _H: Lucius?_**

 ** _L: Yes, Hermione?_**

 ** _H: Did you walk out in the garden just to pose with the statue of yourself?_**

Lucius sighed. _Clever witch_ , he thought as he typed back.

 ** _L: You know, you were not supposed to realise that. And if so, you were supposed to politely keep your mouth shut about it. Where are your manners, Miss Granger, hmm?_**

 ** _H: You are a lovely man, Lucius Malfoy._**

Lucius was again baffled by the unexpected turn of events. He had no idea how to reply. Before he could figure it out, the phone buzzed again.

 ** _H: And you passed. With flying colours and additional points for extraordinary effort._**

 ** _L: I am glad to hear that my efforts are not in vain. What can I use my points for?_**

 ** _H: What do you want?_**

 ** _L: I will let you know when I figure it out._**

 ** _-o-_**

In the darkness of the movie theatre, Lucius realised, again, that he was wrong on a few things. Coca cola was nectar from the Gods. Red liquorish was heavenly. Muggle-cinema was entertaining, and Hermione was the loveliest creature alive. She laughed at the movie, ate popcorn, drank soda, and whispered to him, all with a light in her eyes that made her look so _alive._ The witch was a damned piece of life. And he was probably falling for her, mudblood or not. He gazed at her, and she turned to him with a smile. "What?"

"Hermione.."

Her expression slightly changed. "What, Lucius?" When he still did not say anything, her face turned worried. "You really need to say something soon."

He shook his head. "I just..did not expect muggle cinema to be a lovely experience."

She grinned. "See? It's not so bad, after all."

He shook his head, but returned her smile.

-o-

 _Dammit,_ Hermione thought, lying in her bed that night. _You are falling in love with Lucius Malfoy. This has to stop._

Yes, it had to stop, and rather soon at that, because she was rapidly growing overly infatuated with the man.

 _And he doesn't return your feelings anyway,_ she thought, smothering her face with a pillow. _Does he?_ She thought about it. There had been a moment, in the cinema, where she had been almost _sure_ he was about to kiss her. But then, he didn't, and she had been ridiculously disappointed.

 _Even if he returns your feelings,_ she thought, _so what? It's Lucius-bloody-Malfoy!_

Groaning in frustration, Hermione threw the pillow away and pulled the covers over her head.


	4. Small Pieces of Everyday Life

_Chapter 4!  
_

 _Thank you, rainlady0720, for succeeding where I failed: finding a good title for the story. You rock!_

 _I don't own anything you recognise._

-o-

Hermione tried her _best_ to stop those ridiculous feelings from evolving as the time passed by.

She found it, however, difficult. The man was just too bloody charming. And brilliant. Reflected. The perfect gentleman. He challenged her, something she had sorely missed. Intriguing. Wonderfully sarcastic. She could talk to him for hours. Interesting. Fascinating. Not to mention he was drop-dead-bloody-gorgeous, and he could make her laugh until she cried.

Hermione Granger was screwed.

Because he was _Lucius Malfoy._

She knew she should try to keep away from him, but he kept seeking her out, and the moment she looked into those mesmerizing, grey eyes of his, and saw that small, wry smile he sent her, she completely forgot about trying to keep away.

Basically, Hermione Granger was screwed.

-o-

In early December, three months since the day she almost fell of the ladder and Lucius had been there to catch her, Hermione was in her office, trying to catch up on some paperwork, but failed again when she heard the bell ring as someone entered the shop, and moments later, she heard that lovely voice of his.

"I'm looking for Miss Granger, perhaps you have seen her?"

Hermione shook her head in amusement when she heard the flustered tone in Ana's voice. "Of course. The office. She's there. In the office, I mean."

"Thank you, Ana. You are lovely."

Hermione heard Ana's nervous giggle, and in the next moment, Lucius entered, looking rather amused.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione waved a hand to close the door behind Lucius. "Stop making my employees swoon."

He raised an eyebrow at her as he sat down. "Why? Are you jealous?"

 _Yes, as the matter of fact, I am,_ she thought as she gave him a jaded look. "No. Now, what can I do for you, Mr Malfoy?"

He studied her for a moment, but then he smiled. "You could accompany me for lunch?"

Forgetting about that whole trying-to-keep-away-thing, Hermione smiled back. "That sounds lovely, thank you."

-o-

Lucius had suggested having lunch at a nearby coffee shop, and Hermione was rather surprised, considering how the sight of the two of them having lunch together would most certainly cause quite the fuss in the Wizarding World.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, gazing at the blond pureblood walking next to her. "Your friends will shun you, surely."

He glanced at her, but then he looked straight ahead, and his voice was almost harsh when he spoke. "I don't give a fuck about my friends, Hermione."

Hermione had never heard him use such crude language before, and just stared at him.

-o-

The lunch was lovely.

The tea they had three days later, was lovely.

The daily text messages and letters were lovely.

The cup of tea at Malfoy Manor was lovely.

The dinner that followed said cup of tea, because Lucius had insisted she stayed, was lovely.

The..everything was lovely.

Lucius Malfoy was lovely.

Hermione Granger was not so much lovely, as she was doomed.

-o-

A week before Christmas, Hermione had still not figured out what to buy Lucius for Christmas. She couldn't think of anything. The man had _everything,_ after all, and no matter what she came up with, it was just ridiculous and inadequate.

She wanted to buy him something..personal. Something unique. But at this point, 'unique' seemed to be synonymous with 'idiotic'.

Hermione was at a complete loss.

-o-

He was visiting her for tea, and she decided to just _ask_ him. "What do you want for Christmas, Lucius?"

She was surprised by his starlet expression. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "What do you want for Christmas?"

"You are buying me a Christmas present?"

She gave him a confused look. "Well, of course I am. Why is that such a surprise?"

He was still sporting the surprised look. "I just didn't..expect it, that's all."

"Why not? We are friends, aren't we?"

"Of course we are."

"And that means I am buying you a Christmas present. The problem is that the task of actually _finding_ said present has turned out to be quite the impossible task," she said, flinging her hands in the air. "You own.. _everything._ How do I compete with that?"

He gazed at her with warm eyes for a long moment. "You do not need to compete with that, Hermione," he said, giving her a gentle smile that made her heart skip a beat. "you have already given me far more than I deserve."

She gave him a confused look. "What?"

"Your friendship, Hermione."

She stared at him for a long moment while trying to remember how to breathe. "That's not.." She sighed before continuing. "That doesn't count, Lucius."

"Doesn't it?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, it doesn't. Although I _do_ appreciate the sentiment, it does not count. So, I ask again, what do you want for Christmas? Because at this point I'm considering a pet elephant."

Her heart surged with emotions and her body filled with warmth when he laughed. A warm, genuine laugh that made her want to curl her toes.

Finally, he looked at her with a mirthful expression. "I don't want anything, Hermione."

She rolled her eyes again. "Pet elephant it is."

Lucius laughed again, and this time she _did_ curl her toes.

-o-

She spent Christmas Eve at the Burrows, and it was lovely seeing everyone again.

She wondered what Lucius was doing. Was he with Draco? Narcissa, perhaps? This caused a painful twinge in her chest, but she ignored it. They were divorced, after all.

She also wondered if he liked the Christmas present she had gotten him.

-o-

Lucius Malfoy was having a rather nice Christmas Eve. Draco had brought his girlfriend, Emily, and Narcissa had brought her new flame, William.

Lucius didn't mind at all. Narcissa and Lucius had parted ways years ago, and the divorce had been on friendly terms, based on the fact that they just didn't love each other anymore. As friends, yes, but not as lovers.

Witches and wizards lived a long life. Lucius, at age fifty four, could, if he was lucky, still live for almost another hundred years.

And a hundred years was a lot of time to find love again, like Narcissa had done.

He watched as Narcissa laughed at something William said, and he found that even though he was genuinely happy for Narcissa, he was also slightly jealous.

Because Lucius had found love, as well, had he not? Lucius Malfoy was in love with Hermione Granger.

 _Just a shame she will never love you back,_ he thought while wondering what she was doing tonight. He knew she was at the Burrows, but couldn't quite picture how Christmas Eve at the Burrows looked. Chaotic, he imagined.

He wondered if she was thinking about him.

-o-

"So, Emily," Lucius said after sipping his wine. "Where are you from?"

"London, sir."

He gave her a small smile. "And what do your parents do?"

The room went quiet, and Lucius realised it was because of his question about her parents. _So, she is Muggleborn, probably,_ he thought, _and they wonder if I will throw her out of the house the moment she tells me._

But Lucius had a rather new and changed perspective on Muggleborns, had he not? And he found he didn't mind at all. He _had_ thought, perhaps, that his new perspective only was in regard to Hermione, and was surprised to find that it wasn't. The nervous girl on the other side of the table was a Muggleborn, and he didn't mind at all.

Ignoring the loaded silence, Lucius looked expectantly at the girl, waiting for her to answer.

"My father is a fire-fighter, sir, and my mother is a doctor."

The silence in the room was so heavy that he could almost feel its weight. Still ignoring it, he gave the girl a small smile. "Respectable professions, I must say. And you do not need to call me 'sir', Emily. Call me Lucius, please."

It was like the room itself exhaled in relief.

-o-

Both Narcissa and Draco were mad about presents, and had decided that they would all open their presents tonight, while together, instead of on their own tomorrow morning.

Lucius didn't care much for presents. Normally. But this year..this year was different. Because there was one present he found himself ridiculously curious about.

He wouldn't open it with the rest, though. He would open it later, when he was alone. And he couldn't wait.

Lucius opened his presents without much enthusiasm, because they were all too predictable. It was mostly liquor, and books he already had. Not much to be enthusiastic about.

"Lucius, there is another one for you," Narcissa said, "it's from..let's see.."

The silence that followed made Lucius realise what present Narcissa was holding. _Bloody house-elves,_ he thought as he realised they had probably just put the present with the rest. "Narcissa, if you would be so kind to hand me that."

Draco looked puzzled. "Who is it from?"

Narcissa stared at the present a moment longer, handed it to Lucius, and looked at Draco with a confused expression. "Hermione Granger."

 _"_ _What?"_ Draco exclaimed, "From Granger?" He turned to Lucius with wide eyes. "Why is Granger giving you a Christmas present?"

He raised an eyebrow at his son. "Because we are friends, Draco."

The room went silent again, this time from confused surprise.

-o-

"Lucius," Narcissa said, "you will open it. You know we are beyond curious. And if you don't open it, we will probably imagine something much worse."

Lucius sighed. They had been pestering him for at least thirty minutes. But, he realised Narcissa was right. They would imagine all kinds of dirty secrets in the box he was holding, and their imagination would be worse than the actual content.

The only thing was..Hermione knew him. _Knew_ him. So the content of this box would probably be somewhat revealing. Something that would show just how much he had changed.

Although, why shouldn't they know how he had changed?

 _Oh, sod it,_ he thought as he gave Narcissa a jaded look. "Stop pestering me, witch. I will open it."

Narcissa squealed in excitement, but Lucius ignored it as he focused on the box.

It was wrapped by hand, no doubt, because the small imperfections made it clear this was not done by magic. Especially not by Hermione Granger's magic.

The imperfections made it..perfect.

He slowly unwrapped it, and found a red cardboard-box with a lid.

He hesitantly removed the lid, putting it on the coffee table next to him. He then looked into the box, and realised there wasn't only one present, because the box was filled with several objects.

"What is it?"

Lucius gave Narcissa a jaded look. "Calm down before you hurt yourself, woman. I don't know yet, now do I?"

He looked back into the box, and picked up a round object, about the size of his palm.

"Is that a snow globe?" He gave Narcissa a warning glance, and she rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes."

It was, in fact, a snow globe. And not one of the magical ones either. It was a muggle one, those you had to shake.

He looked inside, and had to stifle a laugh when he saw what it was. A tiny elephant, and a palm tree. He shook it, and that was when he noticed the card attached to it.

 ** _Dear Lucius_**

 ** _There are three reasons why I bought you this snow globe I found in a dusty, old second-hand shop, located it a rather gloomy side street._**

 ** _One; an actual pet elephant wouldn't fit in the box._**

 ** _Two; elephants are endangered._**

 ** _Three; it's utterly ridiculous. Palm trees? I mean, honestly._**

 ** _Happy Christmas_**

 ** _Love, Hermione_**

Lucius couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him, causing both Draco and Narcissa to gasp.

Lucius relented. Narcissa would pester him into oblivion if he didn't show her, so he just sighed heavily and gave Narcissa the globe so she could see.

Narcissa looked at the globe with a puzzled expression, shook it a bit, and read the card.

And laughed. "She's rather witty, isn't she?"

Lucius smirked at her before looking back into the box.

The next thing he found was a pack of twizzlers, and attached to them, two movie tickets. **_You can choose the movie this time,_** the card said, and Lucius found he rather would like that.

He handed it to Narcissa, who looked confused, and then read the note. "This time? There has been a previous time?"

He just raised an eyebrow at her. "Let it go."

Looking back into the box, he found a book. A _rare_ book. A book he had never been able to get his hands on. **_I got you a book you don't already own! Hah! (Unless you have acquired one during the last week, that is.)_**

The next thing he found, he had no idea what was. He luckily found a note. **_It's an iPhone cover. You know, to snap on. I saw it and thought of you._**

 _She thought of me?_ he thought _. Why?_ Turning it around, he stifled a laugh. The phone cover had three words printed on it. **_Sassier than you._**

"Is that an..iPhone case?"

Lucius raised an eyebrow, looking at Draco. "Indeed it is."

Draco looked completely lost. "And why is Granger giving you an iPhone case?"

Lucius looked nonchalantly at his son. "Because I own an iPhone, obviously."

Ignoring his son's spluttered exclamation, he looked back in the box.

He found his favourite tea.

A pair of black, woollen socks, because he had complained about his feet being cold one time he visited her.

A book about muggle technology, related to some questions he had once asked her.

He finally found the last item, and noticed a note on the bottom.

 ** _For the man who has everything, I present to you; small pieces of everyday life._**

Lucius forgot how to breathe. These objects were all related to conversations they'd had, things they had done, or things that showed how well she knew him.

It was uncanny. And marvellous.

He honestly did not want Narcissa to see this. But, she would pester him, and he had so far showed her everything else, so why not. Giving the box to Narcissa, he raised an eyebrow, warning her to keep her tongue.

Narcissa looked at the different objects for a long time, and then he saw her read the note on the bottom.

She went still, just looking at it for a moment before looking at him again. "She is..rather lovely, isn't she?"

Lucius was very much uncomfortable at this point, but he realised he had to say _something._ Taking a deep breath, he looked at Narcissa. "She is..perceptive."

Narcissa just nodded.

-o-

A little while later, Lucius was contemplating how furious Hermione would be with him for giving her ten priceless books, diamond earrings to match her bracelet, a second charm for said bracelet, two self-refilling quills, and a robe she had admired in a shop window once.

It was like she had heard what he was thinking, because just then, his phone rang. He summoned it, and saw that it was, indeed, Hermione.

He considered leaving the room, but both Draco and Narcissa knew the house, and would most definitely find a way to listen in no matter what he did.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed the green button.

"Hello, Hermione."

 _"_ _Lucius Malfoy! How_ _ **dare**_ _you!"_

He smirked. "What exactly is it you are referring to, Hermione?"

 _"_ _You know VERY well what I am referring to! How_ _ **dare**_ _you give me these things!"_

He was still smirking. "I thought that was what Christmas was all about. Giving presents."

 _"_ _You complete prat! I can't accept these!"_

"Of course you can. Didn't you like them?"

There was a pause. _"Like them? Of course I bloody well liked them! That is not the issue here!"_

"Then what _is_ the issue, pray?"

He heard her sigh, and her voice was calmer when she spoke again. _"Lucius, the issue is how much these things are worth. If I sold these, I could probably_ _ **buy**_ _the whole ruddy Ministry of Magic, and hire the Minister himself to be my sex-puppet, should I so wish."_

Lucius couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. " _Would_ you wish to have the Minister of Magic as your sex-puppet?"

 _"_ _LUCIUS!"_

He chuckled again. "Very well, Hermione. Yes, I understand your concern. It is, however, misplaced. But.. _did you like them?"_

He heard her sigh again. _"Yes."_

"Then the issue is solved, quite frankly."

There was a long moment of silence before she spoke again. _"I'm not sure if I want to hex you or kiss you, the next time I see you."_

Lucius managed to stop his breath from hitching, and also managed to keep both his expression and voice rather controlled. "The latter, I hope." He could _hear_ that she rolled her eyes. She made a sound almost every time she did it, and he recognised it instantly. "Do not roll your eyes at me, Miss Granger."

 _"_ _Did I accidentally hit facetime?"_

"What is facetime?"

 _"_ _Video-conversation. It allows us to see each other while we talk."_

"And why am I not informed of this?"

 _"_ _I rather forgot about it."_ There was a pause. _"You are distracting me on purpose! Lucius, these presents. I can't.."_

"Yes, you can, Hermione. I thought you would be clever enough to realise when you were fighting a losing battle."

 _"_ _You are a prat. A rather lovely prat, though. I would say thank you, but thank you sounds just..utterly inadequate and ridiculous."_

"Hermione," he said in rather too soft voice for his own liking, "do you remember what I said when you asked me what I wanted for Christmas?"

 _"_ _Yes."_

"Then that's your answer."

 _"_ _It's not..oh, never mind. Losing battle, was it?"_

"Yes."

There was some shuffling before Hermione spoke again. _"Perhaps you would like to know you have caused a rather impressive chaos at the Burrows."_

"Have I, really?"

 _"_ _You can bet on it."_ There was a pause. _"I have to go before Molly gets her knickers in a twist. I haven't eaten anything for at least twenty five minutes you see, and from Molly's point of view, that means I'm close to starvation."_

Lucius chuckled, and looked around the room at the shocked expressions. "Perhaps you would like to know you have caused quite the impression at the Malfoy Manor, as well." She laughed, and he hesitated before continuing. "Hermione.."

 _"_ _Yes?"_

"Thank you for the Christmas present."

Her voice was soft when she answered. _"No problem, Lucius. You liked it, then?"_

"Yes," he said in a whisper, "yes, I did."


	5. They Are Applauding

_*Waves happily*_

 _Alright, so... you are all too nice to me! I never expected to get this much feedback on my story! This is theoretically the last chapter, but I am afraid I am letting you down! Thus, i could write another one? Or an epilogue? Please tell me what you think! What would you like? What do you think would be best for the story?_

 _Update! I will be writing a final chapter. Or an epilogue. Or both. You are all right, it isn't quite finished yet. For now, I do hope you will have some patience with me, because I'm so busy these days! But, I promise! There will be another chapter, epilogue, or both! Thank you!_

 _Thank you all, honestly!_

 _I don't own anything you recognise._

 _-o-_

He met with Hermione frequently during January, but in the middle of February, he realised she had changed, even if barely.

She seemed..sadder. More withdrawn.

He asked her if something was the matter, but she told him, no, nothing was wrong.

He didn't believe her.

And she had begun declining some of his invitations, and he was almost sure she was lying when she explained her reasons.

Lucius was beginning to realise she was withdrawing from _him,_ and every time she declined an invitation, his heart gained another crack.

She didn't completely deny him, though. She still invited him for tea, or asked if she could come visit.

It just..wasn't as often.

-o-

One day in late February, Hermione visited the manor, and they decided to take a walk in the garden. It was rather beautiful with the snow covering everything, and Hermione frequently asked if they could take a walk. And when they did so, Hermione would walk around, looking enthusiastically at everything, and chatting happily the whole time.

But today was different. Hermione seemed genuinely sad. And it was driving Lucius mad.

"Hermione."

She glanced at him with dull eyes. "Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He sighed. "Hermione, I _know_ something is wrong. I'm not stupid, you know."

She gazed into empty air. "I'm going on a date this Saturday."

It took him a moment before the words sank in, but when they did, they did so with an impact that knocked the breath out of him.

He froze instantly. "What?"

She stopped as well, and turned to look at him. "I'm going on a date."

He just stared at her. "With whom?"

She gazed at him for a long moment. "He's just- you don't know him."

Lucius felt anger flare in him. "Still, who is it?"

She looked a little annoyed now. "Why do you care?"

"Because I-" he said, trying to figure out what to say, "I just do."

She shrugged. "It's a muggle. You don't know him. He's name is Michael."

Lucius felt like the world was about to collapse. "Michael? _Michael?_ And he's a fucking _muggle?"_

Now she looked angry. "Yes, he's a muggle. Is that a problem?"

"Yes!" he said in a furious voice, "Yes, that is a problem!"

"And _why,_ exactly, is that a problem?"

He stepped closer to her, looming over her as he stared angrily into her eyes. "Because he's a _muggle_ Hermione! And you're a _witch!"_

He could see her small hands curl into fists. "I _know_ I am a witch! But I don't have a problem with dating a muggle!"

"And where is this _muggle_ taking you?"

"That, Lucius Malfoy," she hissed, "is none of your business!"

He felt like taking her by the arms and shake her. "Yes, it is! _Where_ is this _muggle_ taking you?"

She was breathing heavily through her nose, and he could actually _feel_ how angry she was from the crackling of magic in the air around them. "WHY, Lucius! WHY do you think this is your business?!"

He didn't think, didn't consider what he was going to say, he just reacted. "Because I bloody well _love you,_ that's why!"

She froze. Her jaw dropped, and she looked at him like he had just slapped her.

They stood like that, frozen on spot for an unknown period of time.

Finally, Lucius sighed. "Hermione, I.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

That's when the change happened. The angry spark in her eyes faded in an instant, and the light was snuffed out of her eyes.

Then tears filled her eyes, and she looked away.

He just stood there, trying to figure out what the hell to do. He had just told her. Told her he loved her. And she was just looking away from him.

Lucius Malfoy's heart broke into a million tiny pieces.

He tried to breathe. So, it was confirmed then. She didn't love him. She didn't love him, and this was probably the end of their friendship. Because he had told her.

He regretted it with everything he had. Even if she didn't love him, he still wanted her in his life. She had changed _everything,_ and he didn't quite know what to do if he lost her.

 _Be a friend,_ he thought. _At least try. Put yourself second, for once._

He had to try _something,_ so he took a deep breath, and touched Hermione's arm, causing her to flinch. Withdrawing his hand, he hesitated. "Hermione, if going on that date upsets you so much, why in the world are you doing it?"

She glanced at him, but looked away again. "Because I have to."

"What?" he asked in confusion, "Why do you have to? Is anyone forcing you?"

She met his eyes now, and the lifeless expression made his whole being hurt. "If anyone is forcing me? Well, in a way, perhaps."

Anger flared in him instantly. _"Who_ is forcing you?"

She gazed at him, and she looked so endlessly sad. "You are."

Lucius Malfoy had never felt so confused in his whole life. _"I_ am?"

"Yes."

He sighed. "Hermione, you are making no sense. I am not forcing you to do anything. What are you saying? Will you just explain?"

She gazed at him for an endless moment. "It took me about a month to fall in love with you. And since then, I have tried to fall _out_ of love with you, _desperately_ tried to fall out of love with you. Sorry to say, but I have failed miserably. I failed, even if I knew you would never love me back. Lately, I have been trying to get some distance, in case that would help, but it has caused nothing but crying myself to sleep because I miss you. And _that_ is why it is you who is forcing me. I have to try to stop loving you so desperately, because it _hurts,_ and I am quite frankly running out of options. So, I chose the exact opposite of you, a muggle with short, black hair, zero sass, and I suspect his intelligence is slightly lower than an average seagull. Basically, I love you, Lucius, I love you with every fragment of my body, my heart, and my soul, and I just can't do this any longer. It's killing me."

Lucius didn't know what to say. He was dreaming, surely. This wasn't happening.

Finally, she sighed. "And there we have it. My confession. Goodbye, Lucius."

He didn't even manage to react before she disapparated with a loud crack.

"No," he whispered. "Hermione."

He had to find her. Right now. Her goodbye had sounded so..final. Like she was going somewhere where he couldn't find her.

Lucius disapparated.

-o-

He landed outside her house, and realised that even if she was in there, her wards would keep him out.

 _No, they won't,_ he thought. _Not this time._

He went at her wards with desperate fury, and slowly, but steadily, he managed to break them.

She wasn't inside.

She wasn't in her house.

 _Where else,_ he thought, _where else would she go?_

Lucius disapparated.

-o-

She wasn't at Flourish and Blotts either. Ana hadn't seen her.

He walked out of the shop, and that's when he saw her. She was walking up Diagon Alley, and he could see tears streaming down her face.

"Hermione!"

She froze for a moment, but then promptly turned around and walked the other way.

"Hermione!" he yelled as he ran after her. "Will you just stop for two seconds?!"

She didn't stop, but yelled at him over her shoulder. "Why?! Why the hell should I stop?!"

He saw her draw her wand. She was about to disapparate again.

Desperation took him, and he found he didn't even care about the crowd watching them in complete shock.

"Because _I love you!_ Now STOP!"

She stopped, but didn't turn around. He ran as if he had the devil himself on his heels, and finally reached her.

He stopped behind her, taking her arm and spun her around to face him.

Her expression made his whole being hurt.

Her eyes were still lifeless, but there was a fragile hint of hope in them. It was like her heart, her soul, her.. _everything_ was in his hands right now in this moment, and if he made the wrong choice, he would break her beyond repair.

And it terrified him.

After a long moment where they just stared at each other, Hermione finally opened her mouth. "If you tell me you didn't mean it one more time," she whispered in a fragile voice, "I'm not sure if I can be fixed again."

He felt his heart break along with hers. "I did mean it," he whispered back. "What I meant when I say I didn't mean it, was everything else I yelled at you. I love you, Hermione, and I have loved you for a long time, now."

The light in her eyes was slowly coming back, and finally she sighed. "And you really, honestly mean that?"

He didn't even answer. He just pulled her to him and kissed her, and she melted in his arms, making him forget about the world around them.

"Oh, god, Lucius," she murmured against his lips, "they are applauding."

Lucius tried to regain some of his brain function, and when he finally did, he could hear it. The crowd around them was applauding.

And he didn't even care. He just wrapped his arms around her and kissed her until they were both out of breath.


End file.
